Retribution
by Circe la Fay
Summary: Sequel to Fated. Harry, Ron and Sally have almost forgotten the past...but the past hasn't forgotten them...
1. Utter Perfection

**Utter Perfection**

**A/N: Drum roll Here it is! The sequel to Fated! As promised. You lot have stuck with this for so incredibly long, and would just like to thank you all for reading (especially those who review!). Anyway, less waffle from me, on with the story!**

The large townhouse in the centre of London gave little away about its occupants. The neighbours thought that they were a normal young power couple, complete with a pampered little daughter. Any wizards or witches passing the house would see the smoke coming from the Floo and nod knowingly to one another. However, the Weasleys were not normal, even from a wizard's point of view. Any Muggles living in the area would be surprised to know that one half of the power couple went to work through the fireplace and did most household tasks using a magic wand. Wizards, however, would be more surprised to know that the woman of the house was not only a Muggle, but probably the most famous Muggle in wizarding history, having single-handedly vanquished Voldemort.

No, Sally and Ron Weasley were far from normal. And they wouldn't have it any other way.

A half magic-half Muggle household certainly had its difficulties, however. After a lot of deliberation, Ron and Sally had decided to split the house in half, one half of the house containing computers, televisions, fax machines and any other electrical device that wouldn't work around magic, and the other half of the house containing the Floo, cauldrons, quills and everything else that Ron insisted was essential for everyday life.

The biggest clash between the couple had been the previous summer. Sally had decided that their daughter Emily should start school in the autumn, along with most other four-year-olds in the country. Ron, having been educated at home, had been horrified at the idea of sending a child so young to school, and suggested that Sally tutor her at home until she received her Hogwarts letter. Unlike Ron, who was convinced that Emily was perfect in every way, Sally had noticed that their daughter had not as yet shown any signs of being particularly magical, and had realised that the letter from Hogwarts may never come. Ron, however, had put his foot down, saying that this was the one thing that he was not going to change his mind about.

Emily started school in September.

* * *

Harry walked down the corridor along the seventh floor of the Ministry of Magic building, feeling more than slightly annoyed. He had just been to see the Head of Magical Games and Sports, a young hooray just out of Hogwarts, whose main aim in life seemed to be to get free tickets to as many sporting events as he could possibly manage. Talking to him, in Harry's opinion, was more painful and less effective than banging one's head against a brick wall.

Taking the lift down to level two, Harry decided to pay Ron a visit. As he walked down the corridor containing the Aurors' offices, he greeted those that he had known from the days of the Order of the Phoenix. After Voldemort's downfall, the Order of the Phoenix had disbanded. The death of Dumbledore shortly afterwards had marked a turning point for the Order, and the members had generally gone their separate ways. Although Harry was still in touch with some of them, most members he had all but forgotten.

As Harry poked his head into Sturgis Podmore's office, he spotted Sturgis' daughter sitting with her feet on the desk reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Clara Podmore was the youngest of Sturgis' three daughters, and often babysat for the Weasleys, meaning that Harry knew her well. She was a Gryffindor with a sharp wit, and was well known for coming up with elaborate and often amusing excuses to get herself out of detentions.

Clara looked up from the newspaper and waved.

"You doing a sudoku?" asked Harry.

Clara nodded.

Walking round so that he could see the newspaper, Harry looked at the number puzzle.

"The fives go there, there and there," said Harry, pointing to each of the squares.

Clara looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem. How are the NEWTS going?"

Clara groaned. "Terrible. Way too much work. I really want to drop Divination. I'm convinced I'm going to get a 'T' in it."

Harry laughed. "Everyone feels like that in the summer before their seventh year. You'll be fine."

Clara looked sceptical. Shaking his head, Harry went to leave. Before he went out the door, he turned back and saw that Clara was looking at him over the top of her newspaper. Meeting his gaze, she blushed and quickly moved the newspaper up to cover her face.

Harry grinned. Sally often teased him about the fact that Clara had a rather large crush on him.

* * *

Ron looked up from his desk as his best friend entered his office. After the usual greetings, Ron returned to what he had been doing previously – searching through a large pile of papers for a Death Eater's file. Harry moved over to help him.

"You know," said Harry, unearthing a picture of Sally and Emily, "this would be easier if you had some sort of system."

Ron looked affronted. "I do have a system! See, here it is," he said, pulling out the file he had been looking for and causing another stack of papers to fall to the floor.

Harry smirked. "I stand corrected."

Despite his disorganisation, Ron was a fantastic Auror. He had an eye for detail, and his tenacity made him invaluable. Although Ron complained about it constantly, it was clear that he loved his job and wouldn't ever want to do anything else – something that made Harry glad he hadn't followed that particular career path.

"Just came in to say hi," said Harry, as Ron leafed through the file. "Do you want to go get a drink later?"

"Yeah," said Ron, not looking up. "I've got a few things to do, so let's say I'll meet you in the Leaky Cauldron at about six."

"Okay," said Harry, realising that he wasn't going to get much else out of his friend. "I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

As Harry stepped out onto the street, he realised that he had nothing to do. One of the disadvantages of being an international sporting superstar was that training was generally in the mornings, and as everyone else worked from at least nine to five it left him with a lot of time to kill. Apparating to Diagon Alley, Harry half heartedly flipped through books in Flourish and Blotts, before succumbing to the cliché and going to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Although broom manufacturers now begged Harry to fly their latest models, he still found that gazing at a broom in Quality Quidditch Supplies was just as exhilarating as it had been when he was a teenager. As he went to pick up a brochure for the new Nimbus Aurora, another hand grabbed the same pamphlet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said a fair-haired woman, handing Harry the brochure. Instead of walking away she frowned, as if trying to remember something.

"Harry? Harry Potter?"

Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes, and prepared to be asked for his autograph. As he looked at the woman, however, he realised that he recognised her.

"Alicia Spinnet?"

The woman smiled. "I knew it was you. How long has it been? Fifteen years?"

"Something like that. How are you? What are you up to now? Do you still play?" asked Harry, gesturing to the equipment around them.

Alicia shook her head. "Not really, not any more. I'm a Healer now, actually." She laughed. "No need to ask if you still play, England's star seeker.

Harry smiled and nodded. There was a short silence. Looking around, Alicia caught sight of a clock.

"Look," she said, "I really have to dash, but we must meet up and go for lunch or something."

"Absolutely," said Harry. "It was really great seeing you again."

As he watched her leave the shop, it occurred to Harry that although 'great seeing you again' was a standard response, he had genuinely meant it.


	2. Dark Days

**Dark Days**

Ron woke with a jolt. Looking around wildly, he realised that he had been woken by the sound of a firecall. As he shook himself awake, Sally opened her eyes.

"It's your turn to answer it," she said, sleepily.

"Since when to we take turns?" asked Ron, disgruntled.

"You're right. I'll draw up a rota." Sally made a few hand movements in the air. "The rota says it's your turn."

Grumbling, Ron slid out of bed and went downstairs, yawning. In the fireplace was the head of an unshaven looking Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Great, you're up," said Kingsley, as Ron entered the kitchen. "I need you to get here as soon as possible."

"But why…?"

"NOW, Ron."

"Fine," said Ron angrily, rubbing his face to try and wake himself up. "I'm on my way."

Having made his way back upstairs, Ron began to throw on some robes. Sally watched him sleepily.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"That was Kingsley," replied Ron. "I have to go in to work."

Sally sat up, concerned. "It's one am!"

Ron shrugged. "It's my job."

"Well owl me if it's a raid, so I know whether or not to pace the floor until you get back. I worry about you, you know."

"I know." Giving up on trying to make himself look presentable, Ron sat on the edge of the bed. "You shouldn't worry. You'll be stuck with me for a long time yet."

Sally looked up at him, unconvinced. Laughing, Ron stroked her forehead.

"Don't frown, you'll get wrinkles" he said.

Sighing, Sally gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Ron arrived at the Ministry along with several other Aurors, all looking tired and in various states of undress. 

Once everyone had arrived, Kingsley began to speak. He looked more exhausted than everyone else, and gave off a 'Don't mess with me' air that stopped anyone from complaining about the lateness of the hour.

"Right," said Kingsley hoarsely. "I called all of you here because six prisoners broke out of Azkaban about an hour ago."

There was a stunned silence. After the fall of Voldemort, Azkaban had been fortified and strengthened. No one had since been known to escape from the wizard prison, and six people escaping at the same time was out of the realms of possibility.

Sturgis Podmore finally broke the silence. "Who was it? Who broke out?"

Kingsley took out a list. "Rookwood, Macnair, Nott, Jugson, Avery and Malfoy."

"Death Eaters," said Ron, quietly. "They're all Death Eaters."

Kingsley nodded. "All of the Death Eaters that bought themselves out of the Dementor's Kiss, to be exact. We have to get down to Azkaban, before the press gets wind of it."

All of the Aurors seated around the large table rose immediately. Something had changed, and they all knew it. Whatever happened now, the wizarding world would never be the same again.

* * *

After spending several hours at Azkaban interviewing guards and checking for evidence, the Aurors were dropping on their feet. 

"Look," said Kingsley, calling them together, "you've all been brilliant, but this is all we can do for tonight. Go home, get some sleep, see your families for a change."

Everyone gratefully rushed for the boats to get them off the island.

Apparating home, Ron flopped down on the couch in the living room, mind racing. Ultimately, he had become an Auror for nights like this, but now he had actually experienced a crisis he wasn't sure how to deal with it. He had an uncontrollable urge to just scoop up his little family and take them somewhere where nothing could ever hurt them.

Nerves jangled, he crept upstairs, aware that everyone was asleep. He stopped outside his daughter's bedroom and gently pushed the door open. Emily lay sprawled on top of her pink duvet, fast asleep. Brushing the hair away from her face, Ron tucked her in and dropped a light kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

As he entered his own bedroom, he stopped to look at Sally, also fast asleep. Seeing his wife looking so peaceful and serene, he was reminded of just how much he loved her.

"Everything is going to be okay," he whispered, lying down beside her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading the first chapter – it would be lovely to get some feedback, just so I know how this story is going. Thanks especially to those who reviewed:**

**Rubber-duckiesofdoom: It is fantastic to get requests for sequels, you're completely right. Although this one would have been written even if people hadn't asked…I love it too much!**

**Emma Barrows: You have been so lovely, sticking with this for so long. Thank you so much!**

**Fippets: Harry? Happy? Hmmmmm…..**

**Juno Malabre: OW! That stick is sharp! And you're a lovely unofficial beta.**


	3. Escape from Azkaban

**Escape from Azkaban**

_This morning, the world awoke to the news that six of the most carefully guarded prisoners in Britain have escaped. All were serving life sentences for crimes against humanity, having been followers of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. In a press conference this morning, Minister for Magic Amelia Bones said:_

"_Although we are shocked and alarmed by the escape, we believe that the general public are in no immediate danger. Every Hit Wizard and Auror is working to recapture the escapees, and we remain confident that they will all be once again incarcerated."_

_Despite these optimistic words, many people have seen this as a sign that a change of regime is needed at the highest level. The Ministry of Magic is under heavy criticism, especially the Auror team, and it is expected that opinions will worsen as time progresses. _

_Cont. pages 2,3,5 and 7 _

Ron slumped into the kitchen counter as he read the article out loud. Turning to page three, he groaned. "So much for avoiding widespread panic. It's making out that the Death Eaters are walking down the street as we speak, and that the only reason we haven't caught them yet is through abject stupidity."

"Ow ow ad emow izen?" asked Emily, through a mouthful of cornflakes.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, darling."

Emily swallowed and then tried again. "How did the bad men get out of prison?"

"We don't know, sweetheart, not yet."

Emily nodded. "But you'll get them soon," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. From her five-year-old perspective, her father was invincible.

"Yeah," said Ron, unconvincingly. Sally patted his shoulder, and then gave him a hug.

"It'll be okay," she said. "I'll see you later."

* * *

It took Ron an additional twenty minutes to get up to his office, due to extra security measures at the Ministry of Magic building. Having been searched, scanned, prodded and even weighed, Ron was in an even worse mood than when he had left the house. 

Kingsley entered the room, looking equally pissed off.

"There's been a disappearance," he said, dropping a file on Ron's desk.

"Well good morning to you too," said Ron, glancing at the cover of the file. "Do you think it's linked to the breakout?"

"Maybe," said Kingsley, rubbing his temples. "We still have to check it out, it may be nothing."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "By we, do you mean me?"

For the first time in a few days, Kingsley grinned. "You know me too well."

* * *

It was the first time that Ron had had to interview the family of a missing person. Although he had covered it several times in training, he doubted that it was going to be the same as talking to Justin Finch-Fletchley doing a squeaky voice and sobbing into a large spotted handkerchief saying, "And then…and then he stole my Kneazles!" 

Standing on the step of the small ramshackle cottage, Ron knocked on the door uncertainly. When no one answered, he tried knocking again for good measure. As he began to knock a third time, a plump woman opened the door. Her eyes were red and she was wringing her hands on a large checked tea towel. Ron was reminded very much of his mother – she would always turn to some domestic task in times of crisis.

Clearing his throat, Ron introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm from the Auror department. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about…" Panicked, Ron realised that he couldn't remember the name of the person who had disappeared. Turning the excruciatingly long pause into a cough, he tried to look at the front page of the file inconspicuously.

"Ahem, yes I'm here to ask you about…Anastasia."

The woman eyed him guardedly.

"We've already had the people from the Magical Law Enforcement round here, and the Muggle police."

"Yes of course but…"

"Because if you think Anastasia disappearing is anything to do with Dark magic, you're mistaken."

"I fully understand, but…"

" 'Cause she's a good girl, our Annie."

"Mrs Fabien, we're not accusing Anastasia of anything. We're just trying to make sure that she's found as quickly as possible."

"Well then," said the woman, stepping back, "I suppose you'll want to come in."

As well as an overwhelming desire to wrap his hands around the woman's neck, Ron got a sense of déjà vu as he entered the house. As he surveyed the pictures waving at him from the walls, he was sure that some of them seemed familiar. Dismissing it, he followed the woman into the lounge and began the interview.

* * *

When Ron got back to the Ministry of Magic, Kingsley was sitting in his office waiting for him. 

"How did it go?" asked Kingsley wearily.

Ron shrugged. "Not that much to indicate any dark activity – just a normal girl really. Probably not our department."

"Think so?" asked Kingsley enigmatically.

Ron nodded.

Kingsley shook his head. "Never assume, Ron." He slapped two more files onto Ron's desk. "Two more disappearances, reported a couple of hours ago."

Ron looked incredulous. "Bloody hell."

The other man laughed bitterly. "We've certainly got a job on our hands."

As he turned to leave, Ron thought of something. "Kingsley?"

The head Auror turned round.

"I know I had booked this weekend off, but what with everything that has happened…"

Kingsley smiled. "Take it, Ron."

"But I thought…"

"You've more than earned the time off. You've worked really hard on this. We can manage without you for a couple of days."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Now get back to work!"

* * *

Ron finally got home at one am, and was surprised to see lights on in the living room. On the couch lay Sally, fast asleep, her head resting on her arm. Ron shook her gently. Opening her eyes, she smiled. 

"I wanted to stay up until you got home," she said sleepily.

"Didn't quite manage it, did you?" said Ron, grinning.

Sally swatted him playfully. "I meant to ask you," she said, sitting up, "Do you want me to cancel this weekend? I mean, you'll have to work, won't you?"

"Actually, Kingsley said I should go. He thinks I need the time off."

Sally looked down, uncomfortable.

"What?" asked Ron.

"I'm just worried about Emily," she said. "I barely got home in time to tuck her in, and she hasn't seen you in a good couple of days. I'm surprised she even remembers what we look like! Is it really fair to leave her this weekend as well?"

"But you've been looking forward to this for so long!" said Ron. "Tell you what, when all this is over, we'll go away, just the three of us."

Sally nodded slowly, still unsure.

"And if that doesn't work," continued Ron, "we'll just have to get her a racing broom for her birthday."

"Over my dead body."

"Come on! Not a fast one!"

"No Ron."

"Just a Cleansweep Five or something."

"Absolutely not."

"Or a Shooting Star, that'll barely get off the ground…"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long gap – I didn't want to post too close to HBP. So this fic is now officially AU, and I'll try not to change it too much or put in any spoilers for the people who haven't read it. On that note, please don't put any spoilers in reviews, because that's just not fair. For those of you who haven't read HBP, READ IT, IT'S FANTASTIC!**

**I'm so glad that we have hits now, because it shows that people are actually reading this even though I'm not getting many reviews. Or the same two people are reading it over and over again…Anyway:**

**Emma Barrows: Thank you! **

**Fippets: Ah, you've got me, I'm not actually evil (but keep it under your hat…)**

**Juno Malabre: Ooh, now you're just giving me ideas (such as teaching you how to spell painful.)**


	4. Decisions

**Decisions**

Emily Weasley was cute, and she knew it. After changing its mind several times, her hair had settled on a colour somewhere between the rich chestnut of her mother and the flaming red of her father. Soft auburn curls framing large brown eyes made her resemble a china doll, and the photographers that hounded her mother never missed an opportunity to take her picture. Emily used this to her advantage, and by age five had already perfected a smile that made old women pinch her cheeks and call her a cherub.

Harry fell into the grate in the Weasley house just in time to see the aforementioned cherub run past screaming and brandishing a plastic lightsaber. She was closely followed by Sally, carrying an identical weapon. Sensing a dead end, Emily ducked under the dining table. Slowing down, Sally scanned the room and swept her lightsaber from side to side.

"You can run Luke," she said in a gravelly voice, "but you cannot hide."

There was a giggle from under the table.

Laughing triumphantly, Sally lifted the edge of the tablecloth with her sword. Emily crawled out, still giggling.

"Well," said Sally, "I cannot defeat you with the sword. But there is one weapon which even you cannot resist."

Picking her daughter up, she began to tickle her mercilessly.

Laughing almost as much as the five-year-old, Harry emerged from the fireplace. Turning around, Sally handed a red-faced Emily to her godfather, who sat down and perched the little girl on his lap.

"So why did you want me to come over?" Harry asked.

Sally tapped her nose. "It's a surprise. And a chance for me to prove that I can keep a secret."

Before Harry could question her further, Ron's head appeared in the fireplace.

"Right, I've got it all sorted out," said the rotating head.

"Brilliant," said Sally. "I'll take Emily to my parents'."

"Why…" began Harry, but the only answer was the slam of the front door.

Emily looked up at Harry quizzically. Harry shrugged.

A few seconds later, the front door opened again and Sally came back into the kitchen.

"Sorry," she said, lifting Emily off Harry's lap, "forgot the child."

* * *

Despite interrogating both Ron and Sally about what was going on, Harry only got enigmatic smiles and winks. Finally, Sally approached him holding a scarf. 

"Right," she said, "I'm going to have to blindfold you."

"WHAT? WHY?"

"What part of 'It's a surprise' don't you understand?"

"Well it's one thing you being all secretive, and quite another you blindfolding me. The way things are going the surprise is going to involve some mild torture or sexual perversion."

Sally laughed. "Nothing quite as enjoyable. But the blindfold is going on."

With that, Sally tied the scarf around Harry's head. After a few minutes, Harry stopped protesting and sat sulking, arms folded. From the sound of things, more people were entering the room, but they were speaking too quietly for him to be able to tell who they were.

"Right mate," said Ron, helping Harry up from his seat, "time to go."

Harry looked around wildly, before realising that it wouldn't help as he was blindfolded anyway.

"Go where?" he tried, beseechingly. "Why are you doing this to me?"

A voice Harry recognised as Hermione's answered.

"It's fun. You should try it sometime. Well, not on one of us, obviously."

"Right!" said Harry. "There are people here! I know it!"

There was a slow hand clap that Harry knew could only have come from Sally.

"Well done," she said sarcastically. "Everyone, I present the amazing Harry – marvel at his astounding powers of deduction!"

Harry decided to shut up, and allowed himself to be bundled into the Floo. He didn't even ask any questions when he heard Ron's voice call out 'Diagon Alley!"

After Harry had tripped over a step, a dog and his own feet (from the sounds of things the last one had been captured on camera), he was pushed through the door of a shop. After a whispered conversation, Harry heard someone say "Well that all seems to be in order, you'll be needing this…and these…" As the grip on his wrist grew tighter, Harry felt the familiar jolt behind his navel.

"Now that's not even funny," Harry began, but he was already up in mid air.

As he crashed into the ground, a voice said, in a Scottish accent, "Seventeen fifty-two, from Diagon Alley."

Harry got to his feet, a bit dazed. Grappling with the blindfold, he took it off and looked around.

Standing around him, beaming were Ron, Sally, Hermione and Ginny, who promptly threw a handful of confetti over him.

Sally cleared her throat, as if about to make a speech. "Harry Potter," she intoned, "on this the twenty…oh damn, I can't keep that up." She reverted to her normal voice. "Basically, as a birthday surprise, we decided to bring you to Edinburgh for some unbridled decadence and non stop party. Surprise!"

Ginny threw some more confetti into Harry's hair, and Hermione blew a party horn.

Harry looked around at his friends and grinned. "I suppose none of you have noticed that it's not my birthday. My birthday isn't until Sunday."

"Well spotted," said Sally, "but as my birthday is tomorrow, we're turning it into weekend long birthday bonanza."

"So why didn't you have to be blindfolded?"

Sally laughed. "Partially because it was my idea and partially because I would have been intelligent enough to take off the blindfold after walking into a lamp post."

* * *

After seeing a play on the fringe (during which Ron and Harry invented a very complicated way of playing I-Spy using sign language), trying haggis (which all of them agreed never to do again), and half-heartedly going to a club (with Ron, Sally, Hermione and Harry spending most of the time trying not to look tired), the five bundled into a hotel room. 

As Ginny flopped onto the double bed and Harry attempted to open a bottle of champagne, Sally emerged from the bathroom talking on her mobile phone.

"Yes, of course we are…okay…okay…love you too darling."

She held the phone out to Ron. "Say goodnight to Emily."

As Ron took the phone and left the room, Harry sighed.

"How did everyone suddenly become so grown up?" he asked. "You two have a kid and a mortgage; Hermione's married…what have I missed here?"

Ginny pouted. "At least you don't have a biological clock! Every time I see Mum, I can just hear her saying 'tick tock, Ginny'."

"Join the club," said Hermione. "I'm not sure what the Bulgarian for 'barren woman' is, but I'm pretty sure that Viktor's mother uses it every time we visit."

"On the other hand," said Sally, thoughtfully, "a lot of people said that Ron and I were getting married too young, and although I don't regret a minute of it, I do wonder what life would have been like if we had left it a bit longer to settle down. I suppose it just depends on when you meet the right person." She grinned mischievously. "Any sign of Mr. Right?"

Ginny shrugged, unsure how to answer the question. "There is someone at work," she said, "but we're not really that serious, at least, not at the moment."

"WHAT?" exclaimed Ron, who had just re-entered the room. "You never told me!"

"I'm sorry," said Ginny, "I must have missed the memo saying that was any of your business."

"What about you?" said Sally, rounding on Harry, "Anybody special?"

Harry shook his head, embarrassed. "No, not really."

"You're lying," said Hermione, laughing. "Come on, spill the beans."

"Well…" said Harry, wishing he had never brought it up, "there is someone. I've met up with her a few times and we get on really well, but I'm not sure if she's…you know…that interested."

"What's her name?" pressed Hermione.

Harry contemplated lying, but then decided not to. "Actually, it's Alicia Spinnet."

"Seriously?"

Ron sat up, looking mildly impressed. "Well done mate," he said, "as far as I remember she was quite…" he looked over at Sally, "…er, quite ugly, complete troll actually…"

"See," said Sally, "I've got him well trained."

Ginny turned to Harry. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Before Harry could answer, Sally interjected. "He's not going to do anything. I'm not sure she's…you know…that interested," she said, mimicking Harry. "I bet she fancies the pants off Harry, but he wouldn't know a hint if it ran over and goosed him wearing nothing but a pink thong."

"What?" said Harry, confused and trying not to imagine a hint in a pink thong.

"It's true," said Hermione. "You are quite oblivious to these things."

"I had a crush on you for about a year, and you didn't notice," added Sally.

"What?" repeated Harry, now feeling like his head was about to explode. Ron looked equally shocked, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it.

"Yeah," Sally continued, "when we were about sixteen. See, my point exactly. We were sharing a room and spending almost all our time together…stop having an aneurysm Ron…and you didn't have a clue."

"We should start a support group," said Ginny, giggling.

Sally turned to her, surprised. "You fancied Harry?"

"For ages! Until I was about fourteen. I even wrote him a poem one Valentines Day. How did it go again?"

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad," began Hermione.

"His hair is as dark as a blackboard," continued Ron, seemingly pleased that the subject had changed from his wife's teenage crush on his best friend.

"I wish he was mine, he's really divine," said Ginny, almost crying with laughter.

"The hero who conquered the Dark Lord," they finished together.

Sally was now on the floor in paroxysms of mirth. "What about you Hermione?" she said, trying to catch her breath. "Any embarrassing crushes to confess?"

As Hermione began to say something, Sally held up her hand. "And before you say Ron," she said, "that's not a confession, we all knew that."

"Well in that case there's no one I…" Hermione stopped, clearly having remembered something.

"Go on," said Ginny, intrigued.

"It was a tiny thing really, not even a proper crush…"

"Tell us!" said Ron, who was now interested, despite himself.

"Draco Malfoy."

Ron choked on his champagne. "But…but…" he spluttered.

"To be fair," said Sally thoughtfully, "he was quite good looking."

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was just unfortunate he was a complete git."

The conversation soon turned from teenage crushes to "Whatever happened to…", but Harry didn't really participate, mind still reeling from Sally's earlier revelation.

* * *

Harry lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling. Three questions had been going through his mind for the last half hour, stopping him from getting to sleep. _Am I still in love with Sally? How do I feel about the fact that Sally had a crush on me? _and _What the hell is that on my foot?_

A brief exploration revealed that the thing on his foot was in fact Ginny's handbag. With question three now solved, he was free to ponder questions one and two. Thinking about the last few years, he wasn't sure whether or not he was still in love with Sally. The aching emptiness that he used to feel was certainly gone, but he supposed that a small part of him would always be in love with her. One thing was certain though – this was the last opportunity that he was ever going to let pass him by.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it! Thanks to my lone reviewer Emma Barrows - you know, it has been said that reviewing can lower cholesterol, reduce body fat and generally make you look ten years younger...(hint hint!)**


	5. From Bad to Worse

**From Bad to Worse**

By the time that Ron returned to work on Monday, the Ministry of Magic was in pandemonium. None of the missing Death Eaters had been sighted, and there had been two more disappearances. What was more puzzling was the fact that none of the disappearances seemed to be in anyway connected. Ron and the other Aurors began working day and night looking for clues and talking to families, but as time passed it became less likely that any of the missing people would be found alive.

"You still working?" asked Terry Boot, sticking his head round the door of Ron's office. "Do you eat or sleep?"

Ron smiled weakly. "No time mate."

"Well," said Terry, "as you're here, thought you might want to try looking at family members of the people who have disappeared – possible Death Eater connections, that sort of thing."

"Brilliant idea," said Ron, getting up. "I'll just go home and get the files I picked up from Magical Records."

As Ron entered the house, he could hear the sound of the Visual Wizarding Wireless. Entering the living room, he saw Emily and Clara sitting on the sofa glued to a Quidditch match.

"What's the score?" he asked, making them both jump.

"130 – 50 to Magpies," said Clara, as Emily scrambled over to give her father a hug.

"Any sign of Harry?"

Clara blushed involuntarily. "Um…well…a couple of times I think…anyway, you're home early, Sally said you wouldn't be back for ages."

"No, I'm just back to pick up some things before going back to work, so you're stuck with this little terror for a while longer."

Prising Emily from around his neck, he gave her a quick kiss and then handed her back to Clara.

* * *

At one am, Ron still hadn't found anything to connect a young witch from Aberdeen, two wizards from Nottingham and Leeds, a middle aged Healer from London and a Squib that had been living in Brighton. 

Clutching at straws, Ron decided to cross reference the names through the Births, Marriages and Deaths register. Fighting to stay awake, he began to trawl through the files. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

_Michael Wallace married Athene McGonagall on the 29th of August. Michael is the son of Rebecca and Christopher Wallace, and has a brother, Paul. Athene is the daughter of Catherine and AlexanderMcGonagall and has two sisters; Minerva and Diana._

Reading the wedding announcement again, it suddenly hit him.

_Minerva McGonagall?_

Praying that it was a coincidence, Ron began to look at the records for the other four missing people. Slowly, he began to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Becoming more frantic, he began desperately searching for anything that would point away from the one horrifying conclusion.

Nothing.

Standing up, Ron gripped his desk as a wave of nausea overcame him. Taking a deep breath, he did the first thing that came to mind.

"Kingsley," he called out hoarsely. "Kingsley!"

The black Auror came running into Ron's office. "What?"

"Order of the Phoenix," said Ron, breathlessly.

"What?"

"They're targeting the Order of the Phoenix," repeated Ron, a bit more slowly. "All the people that have disappeared; Elphias Doge's niece, Dedalus Diggle's cousin, Arabella Figg's nephew, Professor McGonagall's brother in law and Emmeline Vance's cousin."

Kingsley stood completely still for a moment, and then narrowed his eyes. "In that order?" he asked.

Now it was Ron's turn to be confused. "What?"

"Did they disappear in that order?"

Ron looked down at the file. "Yes…yes they did."

Kingsley looked down, moving his lips silently as if he was trying to work something out. Finally he looked at Ron, who was surprised to see triumph in his eyes.

"They're kidnapping people in the order that their family members joined the Order of the Phoenix." said Kingsley

"But…but how do they know?"

"That's not important at the moment. The important thing is that they have a pattern. And therefore…"

"And therefore we can work out who is going to be next!" exclaimed Ron, the penny finally dropping.

"Exactly. And since Emmeline was one of the last people to join the first Order of the Phoenix, the next person would have to be Severus Snape."

Ron was barely listening. All he could think was his family; his parents and brothers, all members of the Order of the Phoenix, and his wife, famous for being the one to finally getting rid of Voldemort.

Seeing the look on Ron's face, Kingsley gripped him by the shoulders.

"They're going to be fine," he said. "We're one step ahead."

Ron didn't answer.

"Look," said Kingsley, letting go of him, "I'll go talk to Severus, you go home. We'll call a meeting of the Order tomorrow."

Ron stood up and began to make his way to the Floo. Suddenly, he stopped. Turning around, he called Kingsley back. The older man turned around.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

Kingsley nodded. "I have a family too Ron. Nothing's going to happen to them, not while I'm around."

* * *

Once again, the lights in the living room were on when Ron arrived home. Instead of being touched that his wife had waited up until he got home, Ron felt a twinge of annoyance. He had already decided not to tell Sally about the kidnappings until he absolutely had to, and he wanted to avoid talking to her until he had a chance to gather his emotions. 

"Hi Ron," said Sally, as he tried to walk upstairs unnoticed. "Working late again, you poor thing."

Ron shrugged, in what he hoped was a nonchalant way.

"What's wrong?" asked Sally, concerned.

"Nothing," said Ron, more harshly than he had intended.

"I know you, Ron. Something's wrong. Just tell me!"

"I SAID IT'S NOTHING!" shouted Ron.

There was silence. Ron looked at Sally, and was surprised to see that she still looked concerned, rather than angry.

"Don't shout, you'll wake Emily," she said. "If you're trying to protect me or something, there's no need, you can just…"

"Why is everything always about you?" said Ron, frustrated. "This has nothing to do with you! Stay out of it!"

For a split second, an expression of hurt crossed Sally's face. Regaining control, she gave a Ron a cold look, and pushed past him towards the stairs.

"Fine," she said. "Fine."

"Sal…"

"Don't. Just don't. Deal with what you have to deal with, and I'll stay well out of your way."

With that, she ran upstairs into the bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

**A/N: I remember a time when reviews were plentiful, but now they are scarce (sob). **

**Juno malabre: I would excuse you anyway darling, and I'm glad I crack you up. At least someone finds me funny. **

**Fippets: Of course, sign language I-Spy was your brainchild, therefore it had to be good! And I do love those rabbits…**

**Emma Barrows: I'm glad you like it!**


	6. Repercussions

**A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated for so long! I have had a mountain of work and an awful case of writer's block, which I know is no excuse. In fact, to punish me, you should read this chapter and then review it telling me what a terrible person I am. That'll teach me.**

**Emma Barrows – Thank you! The next chapter will come along sooner, I promise!**

**Fippets – Ooh, I do love tension dances. They are my favourite type. And I fully intend to see the zombie dance.**

**Rubber-duckiesofdoom – Yay! You're back! And I'm glad you like it!**

Repercussions

It was a love story, Alicia and Robert. A whirlwind, passionate affair that had taken them both by surprise. It didn't matter that they had been young, it didn't matter that they had been completely wrong for each other, it didn't even matter that by the time their son was a year old they had already signed the divorce papers. Ultimately, they had fallen out of love with each other as quickly and violently as they had fallen in love with each other. There was no pretence of staying friends; the only reason that they even stayed in contact was for Jack's sake. But, even so, Alicia knew that she had had something special with Robert, something that most people spent their entire lives looking for, and she was convinced that she would never find love like that again.

Lost in thought, Alicia was so startled by the doorbell that she jabbed her mascara into her eye. Half-blinded, she staggered around for a few moments trying to find her shoes. She stumbled downstairs and, having regained her sight, quickly checked her hair in the mirror before opening the door as nonchalantly as possible.

Standing on the doorstep was Harry, looking, as Alicia liked to put it, deliciously Quidditch tousled. After giving her a swift kiss, he stepped back and looked at her.

"You look fantastic," he said, twirling her round on the spot.

Alicia beamed. "You look great too."

"Ready to go?" asked Harry, bashfully ignoring the compliment, as usual.

"Absolutely," said Alicia.

_Never say never_, she thought, as she pulled the door closed behind her.

* * *

Harry hummed to himself as he appeared with a pop in front of Sally and Ron's front door. The pair had always assured him that he was perfectly welcome to apparate straight into the house at any time, but Harry had decided not to after catching them in a rather compromising position on the kitchen table one evening. He had also taken quite a while, and a lot of persuading, to start eating off that table again. 

He rang the doorbell and waited for a reply. Nothing.

Peering through the letterbox, he knocked on the door.

"Ron? Sal? It's me! Come on, open up, this is important. I know you're in, the lights are on."

There was a movement inside the house, and then the sound of the door being unlatched. Sally opened the door, slowly.

"What?" she asked, in a tone of voice Harry had never heard her use before.

"I…Sal, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. What did you want?"

Harry pushed on the door, forcing her to step back and let him in. Shrugging, she sighed and went into the living room. Harry followed her and sat down beside her on the sofa.

"Sally, tell me. What's wrong?" He looked around. "Where's Ron?"

Sally shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, as if trying to block out the question.

Kneeling in front of her, Harry took her by the shoulders.

"Tell me," he said.

Sally opened her eyes. "I…I don't know," she said slowly.

"What?"

"I don't know where he is."

Harry stared at her, trying to understand what she had just said. "But…what do you mean?"

"He's gone, Harry!" she said, angrily. "Walked out! Left us! Left…me."

Inhaling sharply, Sally closed her eyes again. This time Harry knew why. She was willing herself not to cry.

"We had an argument," she continued, not meeting Harry's eyes. "A stupid argument! The next morning he had already left when I got up. I assumed he had gone off to work in a sulk. But then he didn't come home that night. I've been waiting since then, all this morning, and all day today. He's not answering my owls, he…" Sally broke off, silent tears coursing down her cheeks.

Acting instinctively, Harry put his arms around her. Resting her head on his shoulder, she continued to cry.

"He's been working late every night for a while. At first I thought it was to do with the Death Eaters, but that died down ages ago. You don't think…I mean he would have told you if…"

"Ron is not having an affair," said Harry emphatically, hugging her tightly. "He's just being a stubborn idiot. He's probably sulking over at his parents' house. You know him, you know how pig-headed he can be, but ultimately he loves you."

Before Sally could reply, a small figure in a white nightdress appeared in the doorway. Wiping her eyes quickly, she turned to her daughter and gave her a weak smile.

"What's the matter angel?" she asked, in an excessively cheery voice. "Couldn't sleep?"

Emily nodded.

Harry stood up. "I'll take her back to bed."

"Thanks."

Getting the five-year-old back to sleep was more difficult than Harry had originally anticipated. Reading her a story, singing a song and playing an imaginary trombone all proved useless - the latter seeming to actually have the opposite effect.

As Harry racked his brains for another idea, Emily sat up and looked at him intently.

"Why is mummy sad?" she asked.

_Great_, thought Harry. _Start with the easy question_.

"Well," he said, sitting on her bed, "she's sad because she wants to talk to your daddy, and he's not here at the moment."

_There we go. Not a direct lie, and not too much of the truth._

"Why isn't he here?"

Harry groaned inwardly. _Come on kiddo, you're killing me here!_

"He's...he'll be back soon," said Harry, skilfully evading the actual question.

Emily carried on staring at him for a few seconds, and then lay down and closed her eyes.

* * *

As Harry re-entered the living room, he could see Sally talking to the Floo. 

"I'm sorry Kingsley," she was saying, "I don't know where he is."

"He didn't come into work today," replied Kingsley.

"Well, to be honest…" started Sally, and then stopped. "You mean he went to work yesterday?"

"Yes. Didn't he tell you what happened?"

"No," said Sally becoming visibly agitated, "I haven't seen him since…"

She was interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door. With a strangled cry of exasperation, she rushed to answer it. After a short conversation with the person at the door, Sally returned looking pale.

"That was Sturgis Podmore," she said, slowly. "Clara has gone missing. And I think Ron has as well."

* * *


	7. And Worse Again

…**And Worse Again**

_It had been an odd day overall. Despite the fact that they had been going out for exactly two years, Sally hadn't expected Ron to remember, much less take her out to an expensive restaurant in London. 'Of course,' she thought wryly, 'if he had forgotten he would have had to put up with the silent treatment until our next anniversary.' _

_As they left the restaurant, Ron kept patting his jacket pocket, as if checking that something was still there. Sally began to ask him why, but decided against it. Suddenly, Ron stopped walking so abruptly that Sally almost bumped into him._

"_Why have you stopped?" she asked, bemused._

_Ron smiled enigmatically. "Close your eyes."_

_Laughing, Sally obliged, and allowed herself to be lead outside and onto what felt like grass. _

"_Can I open them yet?"_

_Ron dropped her wrists and stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. _

"_Okay, go on." _

Sally opened her eyes and looked around.

"_Do you know where we are?" asked Ron, encouragingly._

"_No, I don't…" Suddenly it hit her. "We're in Hyde Park!" Taking her to dinner was one thing, but bringing her to the place where they had first kissed was too romantic for words. "Ron, that's so sweet, I can't believe you remembered!"_

"_Turn around," said Ron, his voice oddly shaky._

_Sally turned on the spot and gasped. A portion of the sky had been charmed so that the stars were arranged to spell out the words: _

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

* * *

Ron woke up on a cold stone floor, his head pounding. Sitting up gingerly, he tried moving his limbs. Thankfully, although every part of his body ached, nothing seemed to be broken.

Slowly getting to his feet, he struggled to work out where he was. The reality of his situation hit him with such force that he almost had to sit down again.

He had been kidnapped by the very people he had been trying to arrest.

Kicking the wall, Ron swore loudly. The noise caused a bundle in the corner of the room to stir. Panicking, Ron grabbed for his wand, and was horrified to find it missing. The other person in the room sat up and groaned. Looking over, Ron was relieved to find that he recognised her.

"Clara?"

The girl groaned again and put a hand to her face, which was quite badly bruised. Ron sat down beside her.

"Are you okay?"

Clara shook her head. "I think my nose is broken."

"Let me see."

Clara shook her head again, clamping both hands over the injured nose.

Ron sighed. "Just let me look at it."

"No."

"Please, Clara?"

Looking unsure, she slowly removed her hands from her face.

"Well I don't think it's broken, and it's almost stopped bleeding."

Clara looked unimpressed by this information. Then, without warning, she burst into tears.

Giving a hug, Ron realised that he knew exactly how she felt.

* * *

Sally, Harry and Sturgis sat side by side on the sofa while Kingsley tried to explain the situation. It was hard to tell who was most distraught, but from the look on her face Sally seemed to be fighting the urge to hit someone.

"So people have been disappearing almost every day for the last three weeks," she said slowly. "Why haven't we heard about it?"

"We…that is, the Minister for Magic and I, agreed that there should be a news blackout," replied Kingsley.

"WHAT?" Sally exploded, leaping to her feet. "You mean that you intentionally let people think that the Death Eaters were just waiting to be shipped back to Azkaban, when in fact they're roaming the streets?"

"It was the only thing we could do, we…"

"What do you mean it was the only thing you could do?" said Sally, tears streaming down her face. "People were in danger and you didn't tell them!"

"If the Death Eaters knew that we had worked out what they were doing, they would have started killing people," said Kingsley, in a low voice.

Sally looked as though she was about to say something else, but instead she sat back down, allowing Harry to put a comforting arm around her.

Kingsley carried on, his expression softening slightly. "The first thing we have to do, of course, is call a meeting of the Order. It's been difficult so far – everyone has moved on, most lines of communication have been severed. In fact, that Ron was trying to track down the last few when he disappeared."

Harry felt Sally's grip on his hand tighten.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Sturgis, speaking for the first time.

"We've managed to find the rest of the Order," said Kingsley. "The meeting is tomorrow."

* * *

Harry sat at the table, looking round at people that he hadn't seen for years. He had been surprised at the turnout; especially as most people hadn't known why they had been called together until Kingsley began explaining. Even without Dumbledore, it seemed that the Order was still everyone's top priority.

Kingsley's explanation of the situation had met a shocked silence, and by the time he had gone into the details of the most recent disappearances several people were in tears. Molly Weasley left the room shortly afterwards, closely followed by her husband. Harry looked at Sally, who was sitting next to him, expecting her to also be crying, but she was staring at Kingsley stony-faced. Having not as yet faced his feelings about his best friend's disappearance, Harry was trying to concentrate on Sally's distress, but he knew that his own would soon surface.

"Information has traced Death Eater activity as far as Bulgaria," said Kingsley, clearly also trying to keep a check on his own emotions. "The best plan is to gather a small group to trace the Death Eaters as far as possible, who will then call in reinforcements for a rescue mission. For the rest of the Order, it may be best to go into hiding, along with immediate family members."

There was a clamour of noise as everyone started speaking at the same time. Molly and Arthur re entered the room, both looking red-eyed.

Once everyone had calmed down, Hestia Jones spoke. "So who is going to be in the group going to Bulgaria?"

"That's a decision we'll have to make together," said Kingsley. "I'll be going, of course, but…"

"I'll go," interrupted Harry.

"So will I," said Bill, earning him a kick under the table from Fleur.

After several arguments, it was decided that Harry, Bill, Tonks and Charlie, as the youngest remaining members of the Order, would follow the Death Eaters as far as possible and then be joined by Snape, Kingsley, Sturgis and Remus. The rest would remain in hiding at the safest place anyone could think of – 12 Grimmauld Place.

As people began to talk amongst themselves, Harry turned back to Sally, who still hadn't said anything.

"Don't worry," he said, in what he hoped was a steady voice. "We'll bring him back."

Sally looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean 'we'? I'm coming with you."

"No you're not," said Harry. "You…"

"Either I come with you or I go on my own. I'm not just going to sit here."

"Sal, it's too dangerous for you to come. You're a Muggle."

"That didn't stop me getting rid of Voldemort did it?" she said quietly.

Now it was Harry's turn to look astonished. Sally almost never mentioned Voldemort, and certainly didn't brag about it.

"I'm coming with you," she said again, getting up and leaving the table.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed:  
**

**Fippets: Well I hope I haven't left you festering for too long…**

**Emma Barrows: I do apologise for neglecting you – won't take so long to update next time.**

**Fippets: Yay! At least someone is hooked…**

**Juno malabre: Now we all know you're just going to hurt yourself with the cattle prod. **


	8. Departure

**Departure**

**A/N: Finally! Another chapter done! I am so sorry that it has taken so long, but life has been absolutely chaotic recently. Which I know is no excuse. I am very annoyed that we aren't allowed to do review replies any more, but thanks to Rubber-duckiesofdoom, Emma Barrows and juno malabre for reviewing – I absolutely love receiving them!**

* * *

'This is ridiculous,' said Harry, slamming his hand down on the table. 'You can't let her go. It's too dangerous!' 

'Don't think I don't know that Harry,' said Kingsley angrily. 'But since you'll be travelling as Muggles, she could end up being invaluable. Besides, Sally can look after herself. If she had never suggested it, I would never have asked her to go with you, but since she's so insistent…And to be honest, I'm quite impressed.'

'Fine,' said Harry, conceding defeat. 'But I'm still not happy about it.'

Kingsley fought a smile. 'There will be a briefing tonight so that you can leave tomorrow,' he said. 'Anything that you need to sort out before you go – do it now.'

'No, I don't think there's anything…' Harry stopped, suddenly remembering that there was something very important that he had to sort out. Immediately.

* * *

In Harry's opinion, being thrown in the air and then dangled upside down would be most people's idea of torture, but he had been doing it to Jack for the last five minutes and the toddler was still enjoying it. 

As Alicia entered the room, Harry tried to put Jack down for the third time and earned himself yet another indignant wail from the two-year old, who promptly crawled out of the room. Laughing, Alicia kissed Harry and then sat down beside him.

"It feels like I haven't seen you in ages," she said, leaning on his shoulder.

"Mmm," said Harry, noncommittally.

Alicia sat up and looked at him. "That's your 'I have something to tell you but I don't think you're going to like it so I'm just going to sit here for a little bit longer' mmm."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You got all that from 'mmm'?"

"It's a gift. So what is it you have to tell me?"

Harry sighed. "I have to go away for a while."

Alicia's face fell. "Again?"

Harry nodded glumly. Sighing, Alicia cuddled up to him again.

"It's not your fault. That's just what I get for dating an international Quidditch player."

Harry put his arm around her, relieved. After all, he thought, he hadn't directly lied to her, and this saved him from having to think up an excuse.

"I'll miss you," said Alicia.

"I'll miss you too. I wish I didn't have to go. But I promise that I will make it up to you as soon as I get back."

"I can think of a way that you can make it up to me right now."

Harry's reply was decidedly non verbal.

* * *

Harry returned to 12 Grimmauld Place to find Sally sitting on the stairs. Harry hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to try and talk to her, as the atmosphere between them had been frosty since their last conversation. 

Before he could turn away, however, Sally caught sight of him and smiled.

"Sorry I snapped at you earlier," she said, moving so that he could sit down beside her. "I know you were only trying to help."

"I'm just worried about you," replied Harry, taking the proffered seat. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Harry, how long have you known me?"

He pondered this. "About fourteen years."

"So how long have you known not to try and tell me what to do?"

There was a pause. "About thirteen years and three hundred and sixty-four days."

"Exactly. Besides, I would have thought that you would be the last person who would try and stop me from coming with you."

"Why?"

"Ultimately, nothing would ever stop you going after Ron would it? Because he's your best friend. And even if you died trying to save him, you'd go down fighting."

Harry looked at her, trying to find a flaw in her logic, but he knew she was right. If it had been the other way round, there would be no way that he would let other people go and save his best friend while he just sat at home.

"Therefore, under the Hypocrisy clause," said Sally, a smile playing on her lips, "you haven't got a leg to stand on."

Harry laughed. The Hypocrisy clause stemmed from back when Sally, Harry, Ron and Hermione had lived together as students. It basically stated that none of them could get annoyed at one of the others for doing something if they would have done it in the same situation. The clause had often gotten Harry and Ron out of several sticky situations, and one memorable Christmas Day had won Sally two thousand pounds during a game of Monopoly.

"Seriously though," said Sally, "I know you, and I know that you would rather chew your arm off than talk about you feelings, and that you hide them by fighting battles with absolutely everyone instead. You haven't said anything about Ron's disappearance since we found out."

"I'm not going to break down and let it all out, if that's what you think," said Harry, avoiding her gaze.

"I know. But you can, if you want to."

"Thanks."

Sally stood up, picked up the box and began making her way up the stairs again. "Don't offer to help," she called over her shoulder, "I'm managing just fine here."

"Brilliant, I'll leave you to it then," said Harry, laughing as he dodged the teddy bear that Sally hurled at him.

* * *

Despite having been Emily's godfather for five years, Harry found that things about her could still surprise him. Like the fact that, judging by the amount of Barbie merchandise she owned, she was personally bankrolling Mattel. And the way that she managed to get chocolate ice-cream on her hands, face and even the back of her hair, but completely miss the napkin that Sally had tied round her neck. 

"Try mine," said Sally to her daughter, who had just pushed the aforementioned ice-cream away from herself.

"What's in it?" asked the five-year-old suspiciously.

"One scoop strawberry, one scoop vanilla."

"Okay."

Emily pulled the bowl towards her and began to eat.

"When are you coming back?" she asked, between bites.

"I don't know, angel," said Sally, with a note of sadness in her voice.

"Promise you'll be back soon?"

Sally put her spoon down and gestured for her daughter to come and sit on her lap.

"What's the one thing I've always promised you?" she said, hugging the little girl.

Emily sniffed. "Never to make promises you might not be able to keep."

"Exactly. But I do promise to try and be back as soon as I possibly can."

"Isn't that the same?"

"No, because what if I'm trying to get back and then I…get captured by a dinosaur?"

Emily giggled. "And then when you escape from the dinosaur, an evil witch puts you to sleep for a hundred years."

"And then when I wake up, I'm marooned on a desert island."

"And then you have to sail all the way back here on a raft."

"And then…and then I get stuck in traffic."

Emily laughed again and gave her mother another hug.

"Tell you what," said Sally. She took a silver locket from around her neck and put it around her daughter's. "This was the first present your daddy ever bought me. I want you to look after it while I'm gone."

Emily nodded. For a minute, she looked as though she was going to burst into tears.

"Don't cry, angel," said Sally. Stroking her daughter's hair, she thought of the one thing that would always cheer Emily up without fail.

"I saw a mouse," she sang.

Emily gave a watery smile. "Where?" she sang back.

"There on the stair,"

"Where on the stair?"

"Right there!"

"A little mouse with clogs on," they sang in unison. "Well I declare! Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair."

* * *

Emily sat kicking her heels against the sofa, purely because she had been expressly forbidden to do so. Her mother had left earlier, with Harry, Bill and Charlie. For the first time in her life, Emily felt completely abandoned. Small sobs began to escape her, and before she knew it she was crying freely. 

Little did she know it, but far away, both her parents were crying too.

* * *


	9. Making Progress

**Making Progress**

Remus Lupin couldn't sleep. This in itself wasn't unusual, as the full moon wasn't far off. What was unusual was the fact that 'Chatanooga Choo Choo' had been in his head on a loop for the past hour. Remus attributed this to the fact that he was once again living in the house of his late best friend. He wasn't completely sure how the two things were connected, but he supposed that his subconscious had its reasons.

'_I want a one way ticket down to Tennesee…'_

Sighing, Remus slid out of bed and wandered downstairs, in search of some warm milk.

As he walked past the drawing room, he was surprised to see a light glowing under the crack in the door. Curious as to who else could possibly be up at this hour, Remus entered the room cautiously. A small girl was sitting on the sofa with her back to him. Remus stood still for a moment, both because he didn't want to startle the child and because he was trying to work out who she was.

As would be expected, Molly and Arthur had several grandchildren, but to Remus' knowledge none of them were staying at Number Twelve. Fleur had left earlier on, after a loud argument with Bill, declaring 'I weel not stay in zis reediculous place a minute longer!' Bill had later informed everyone that Fleur had taken Marianne, eight, and Olivier, three, and was staying with her parents in France. Charlie's wife had taken her cue from Fleur, and had departed soon afterwards with their two-year-old son for Leicestershire. Fred, George and Percy had decided that they would all be safe enough at home with their respective spouses, but only after promising Molly that they would check in with her every day. That only left…

Remus mentally kicked himself. He had only met the little girl a few times, but Harry talked about his god-daughter incessantly. Not to mention the fact that, being the daughter of Sally Weasley, Emily was relatively famous in her own right.

Unsure what to do, Remus stepped forward, causing Emily to turn round. Remus stopped moving again, as the little girl stared at him.

"Hi," said Remus, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.

Emily said nothing, still staring at him.

"You're up late," ventured Remus.

No reply.

"I'm Remus," he tried, sensing that he was rapidly losing this battle.

Emily put her head to one side and looked at him quizzically.

Remus waited, unsure if this gesture meant that she was warming to him or if it was a prelude to a screaming fit.

"Can you play chess?" asked Emily, speaking for the first time.

_Right, I've officially entered the twilight zone, _thought Remus.

"Yes, I can."

"Good. You be black, I'll be white."

Now it was Remus' turn to stare at the little girl. "How old are you?" he asked disbelievingly.

Emily held up four fingers and a thumb, having reverted back into silence.

"And you can play chess?"

Emily shrugged and nodded at the same time.

Resigning himself to the strangeness of the situation, Remus sat down and began to arrange his pieces.

* * *

"So remind me what we're doing here?" asked Harry. 

"Theodore Nott as been traced as far as here by Bulgarian intelligence," replied Tonks, sipping at a Gillywater.

"Bulgarian intelligence?" asked Bill, raising an eyebrow.

Tonks blushed. "Fine, Vlad the barman said he saw him in here. He thinks."

Harry gave a snort of derision.

Sally returned from the bathroom and sat down at the table with the others. "Have I missed anything?"

"Not really," replied Harry. "You feeling any better?"

Sally nodded. "It's probably just something I ate on the plane."

"So what are we going to do about Nott?" asked Charlie.

"We have to find him first," said Tonks, "but then it gets a bit more difficult. The fact that he's in Bulgaria indicates that he's trying to join his father, which means that he probably has information that we need. But the minute that he gets wind of the fact that we're a rescue party for the hostages, he'll tell the Death Eaters and…and we don't want that to happen."

Before anyone could say anything else, a waitress approached the table holding a cocktail with an umbrella in it. She placed it in front of Sally, saying, "Man over there sends drink," and pointed to a tall thin man who was sitting at the bar. Once he realised that Sally was looking at him, he waved in a way that he obviously thought was seductive. Embarrased, Sally waved back quickly and turned away.

The other four stared at her, open mouthed.

"What?" said Sally, turning a deep red.

"That's…that's him!" said Harry.

"Who?"

"Theodore Nott," clarified Tonks. "What are the odds?"

Everyone looked at Sally again, but she was deep in thought. Suddenly she turned to Harry.

"Could you do a spell to hide my wedding ring?"

"Why…"

"Could you?"

"Well, yeah, a glamour should do it, but…"

Sally held out her left hand. "Go on then."

Confused, Harry performed the spell. As soon as he was finished, Sally picked up her cocktail, took a deep breath and walked over to Theodore Nott.

"What is she doing?" asked Charlie, incredulously.

Tonks shushed him. "I know exactly what she's doing. And it's brilliant."

* * *

"Checkmate." 

It took Remus a few moments to register that he had lost to someone who could count her age on one hand. He looked up, expecting Emily to look smug, but instead she smiled at him – the first time Remus had ever seen her smile.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For playing with me."

"You're welcome. Who taught you how to play chess?"

"My daddy."

"Of course," said Remus. "He was brilliant at chess as a teenager, I seem to remember. I taught him Defence against the Dark Arts, you know."

Remus almost laughed at the expression of surprise on the little girl's face. "Really? And Harry and 'Mione?"

"All three of them." Suddenly, Remus had a brainwave. "Do you want to hear a story about them when they were younger?"

Emily nodded vigorously.

"Well then, go back to bed and I'll tell you one."

In a rush of excitement, the little girl ran out of the room, closely followed by Remus.

_This parenting thing isn't as hard as it looks_ thought Remus, as he entered Emily's bedroom and sat on the end of her bed.

"It all started," he began, "when Harry decided to use one of the secret passages out of Hogwarts to sneak into Hogsmeade – with his invisibility cloak of course…"

* * *

Harry looked over to the bar, unsure whether to be shocked or mildly impressed. Theodore Nott was getting very red in the face and laughing uproariously at something that Sally had just said. Laughing as well, Sally flicked her hair back and then let it swish forward. 

"She's…she's…flirting with him!" exclaimed Charlie, horrified.

"Well done, Sherlock," said Harry. "She's good at it too."

"A bit too good," muttered Bill, clearly unimpressed by the fact that his sister-in-law was trying to seduce someone who wasn't his brother.

"I don't think the flirting is the point," said Tonks. "It's just a good way of getting him…"

"Bartender, another bottle of your finest…finesht…." slurred Theodore loudly across the bar.

"...drunk," finished Tonks, grinning.

As if on cue, Theodore got up and stumbled off in the direction of the men's toilets. Looking very smug, Sally got up and returned to the table where the others were sitting. She sat down and held up her right hand. Dangling from her index finger was a large brass key.

"Men," she said, rolling her eyes.

* * *

**A/N:** I am being terrible about updating, I really am. However, I'm not planning on making this as long as Fated, and the next few chapters will be getting to you a lot quicker hopefully. Many thanks to **Rubber duckies-ofdoom**, **Emma Barrows**, **juno malabre** and **Fippets**, my spectacular faithful reviewers! 


	10. Discoveries

**Discoveries**

"So what are we actually looking for?" asked Charlie in a whisper, as Sally unlocked the door to Theodore Nott's room and slowly pushed the door open.

"Preferably a map with a big X marked on it, saying 'DEATH EATERS HERE' on it," said Tonks.

"Or a letter, saying 'Dear Son, please forward all post to the following address, Love Dad," added Harry.

"It's funny," said Sally, searching through a drawer, "he didn't come across as particularly evil when I was talking to him, just a bit smarmy. I'm surprised that the Death Eaters are bothering with him."

"Well, they need as many people as they can get if they're trying to reform – I mean there are only six of them at the moment. It's not as if Voldemort is using his…more persuasive methods of recruitment anymore, so they would have to start with members of family."

"How do we know that they're trying to reform?"

"What else would they be doing?"

"I don't know, but…"

Tonks interrupted by making a disgusted noise and holding up a copy of Busty Witches.

"He may not be evil," she said, dropping the magazine, "but he's still a pervert."

Harry, Bill and Charlie immediately launched into an enthusiastic spiel about just how perverted such things were, emphasising the fact that they would never even think of looking at such smut.

As Sally started going through another drawer, her hand closed over a piece of parchment. She brought it out carefully, so as not to tear it, and looked it over.

"I think I've found something," she called out, getting the attention of the other four.

Printed on the paper was a sequence of letters.

TVWBSQ

"It's in code," said Tonks.

"Well Bill," said Charlie, "this is your area of expertise. Any ideas?"

"I'll need to write it down," replied Bill, taking the paper from Sally, "but yes, I can probably crack it."

"Brilliant," said Tonks. "Come on everyone, keep looking, we might find something else."

* * *

Remus sat at a desk in the study, sorting through papers, while Emily sat on the floor making bridges out of some large, leather-bound books. It had taken Remus by surprise when the little girl had begun to follow him around, but he had soon become used to it. 

"The bridges keep falling down."

Remus looked up. "Try standing the books up the other way."

The werewolf chuckled, thinking of what Mrs Black's reaction would be to the way that her heirlooms were now being used. He looked back at Emily, who had given up on helping her dolls cross the imaginary Rubicon, and was now looking intently at a book that had fallen open.

"What are you reading?"

"Not reading," she said, without looking up. "Pictures. I think this is Harry."

Remus crossed the room and peered over her shoulder.

"I can't…is that what I think it is?" The werewolf snatched up the book and looked more closely at it. "I can't believe Sirius kept this…and in here of all places…"

Emily looked up at him, her expression a mixture of puzzlement and annoyance that he had taken her new plaything.

Remus sat beside her. "That isn't Harry," he said, pointing at a boy of about twelve who was waving and smiling in one of the photos. "It's his dad." He flipped forward a few pages. "And that's me."

The little girl looked at Remus and then back at the photo, in a way that was almost comic.

_Surely I don't look that old_, thought Remus. He pointed to another photo.

"That's all four of us, back in second year."

"All four of us?"

Remus laughed. "Sounds like the beginning of another story, doesn't it?"

Emily nodded eagerly.

"Alright. Once upon a time, there were four boys, called Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."

_One dead, betrayed by the second. The third lost to the Department of Mysteries. And me._

_Who would have thought._

* * *

Harry and Sally sat on a bed in the room that they had all rented for the night, while Bill sat at a table trying to work out the code. Thinking back over what had happened during the day, something occurred to Harry. 

"Sal?"

"Mmmm?"

"When you asked me to do a glamour to hide your wedding ring, why didn't you just take it off?"

Sally turned to him. "Didn't we ever tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I can't take it off."

Harry winced, imagining some sort of industrial accident in which the ring had become welded to her skin.

"It's an ancient charm. I stumbled across it before we got married, and I thought it might be nice and romantic, since we couldn't have a full magical wedding ceremony. Basically, neither of us can take off our wedding rings until the other one dies."

Harry thought that it sounded a bit more macabre than romantic, but decided not to say so.

"Have you tried to take it off since….um…" he tried, realising too late that it probably would have been more tactful to make a disparaging comment about the rings.

"Since Ron disappeared?" finished Sally.

Harry nodded.

"A few times. It's staying on, so…" she left the rest of the sentence unfinished.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, both thinking about what had happened over the past few days. Harry found it hard to believe that, less than a week ago his biggest problem had been...Suddenly he remembered why he had gone to Ron and Sally's house that night in the first place.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," said Sally.

"What's the shortest amount of time you've been going out with someone before you've said 'I love you'?"

Sally thought about it. Then her eyes widened.

"Are you thinking of telling Alicia that you love her?"

Harry blushed. "Just answer the question."

"Three hours," she said, with a wry grin.

"Really?"

"I was six at the time."

Harry swatted her on the arm.

"How did…" he began, and then stopped.

"How did what?"

"How did Ron tell you he loved you for the first time?" said Harry, quietly and very quickly.

"Harry, you don't have to tiptoe around me. I'm not going to burst into hysterical sobs every time anyone mentions Ron."

"Sorry."

Sally laughed. "Don't look as though you've accidentally eaten a child – I know you were just being nice. Do you remember that costume party that Dean had, where you,me, Ron and Hermione went as the four founders of Hogwarts?"

Harry laughed. "Didn't Hermione make you read the whole of Hogwarts; A History, to get into character?"

"Only the first four chapters, which was bad enough – that thing makes War and Peace look like a pamphlet! Anyway, that was where Ron told me he loved me for the first time."

"Really?"

Sally nodded. "We'd been going out for about three months. We were dancing, and Ron suddenly said 'I love you, you know.' That was when we decided to tell everyone that we were a couple."

"That's really…"

Harry was interrupted by the sound of Bill jumping up from the table.

"I've got it!" he shouted, bringing the others running. "It was quite simple, really, I should have cracked it ages ago. It says 'pravus'."

"Pravus?" repeated Tonks, confused. "What does that mean?"

"It's Latin for wicked or evil," said Sally. The others turned to look at her. "What? I did it at A-Level."

Suddenly, Harry had an idea. "Let me try something," he said.

'Pravus,' he said, touching his wand to the piece of parchment.

Immediately, ink spidered across the paper, forming a map of what seemed to be a castle. Moving around the map were small dots, each labelled.

"It's the Marauders Map," said Harry, stunned. "It's exactly like the Marauders Map."

* * *

**A/N: Another update, slightly more punctual this time I hope! I do love feedback, so please review. Talking of which, review replies are now on my bio page.**


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